


Astraphobia

by Bynthicup



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 19:36:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bynthicup/pseuds/Bynthicup
Summary: Astraphobia can be overcome with treatment, but Cuphead's soothing presence is all the treatment Mugman needs...





	Astraphobia

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS NOT CUPCEST, JUST BROTHERLY FLUFF
> 
> it would set the mood better to listen to this while reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UpwQ-yXQUk

It was a cold rainy night, loud cracks of thunder striking the earth's crust every so often, causing the hearts of the occupants of Inkwell Isle to pound out of their chests. Cuphead and Mugman had decided to call it a night, tucking themselves into their own respective bed on their bunk, each mattress conjoined by firm bars and a ladder. Cuphead, of course claiming the top bunk, snuggled into his warm red sheets and buried his face into his pillow while Mugman cradled himself in his thick blue sheets and clutched his brown teddy bear close to his chest. Cuphead was known to be a heavy sleeper, thus falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, unlike his brother, who normally after crawling into bed stared up at the bottom of his sibling's bunk until his eyelids became too dreary to stay open. Mugman could already hear the silent snores emitting from his brother above him, though it was mostly blocked out by the raucous cracks of thunder roaring outside his window and making the small mug jump in his skin and clench his teddy bear tighter.

 

Astraphobia, the abnormal fear of thunder and lightning, was very common among children, and Mugman was one of the unfortunate juveniles to be cursed with this fear. He felt like a helpless stray animal left on the side of the road, curling up in its own cowardice and despair, too afraid to move a single part of their body. The boy in blue could feel his clamped hands shake violently as thunderclaps growled like a wild beast outside the window, lashing its claws at the earth and leaving indentations within the dirt, Mugman praying one of its talons wouldn't strike his body and leave him in convulsions. People often say the chances of being struck by lightning are a billion to one, and the small mug felt his chances were in the one billion range. He had completely forgotten that he was shielded by the safe architectural structure of his house, though he has had nightmares of lightning breaking in through the window or roof and driving right into his heart. The thought left him extremely debilitated, making him whimper and causing hot tears to well up in his eyes. His breathing had picked up speed and his eyes darted around the room, leaving his body abnormally paralyzed. He felt like he was on the verge of a megaton explosion, his body white as a sheet from the neck down and his face red from the billions of nerves all telling his brain how truly scared he was. He desired to be next to his brother, snuggled up against him and feeling his reassuring strokes on his back, soothing him and telling him that there was nothing to be afraid of, but he couldn't move. He felt absolutely numb, as well as his jaw, for the only noises he could muster were whimpers and moans. He wanted, more than anything, to cry out and run up to his brother's bed or to Elder Kettle, but his body might as well have been held down by superhuman strength. He felt restrained, as if the world held him down by his hands and feet and subjected him to this extraordinary terror and massive apprehension.

 

_CRACK_

 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" A scream finally crawled out from the very pit of Mugman's stomach, for he couldn't handle the immense pressure anymore. Screams were strange beasts, one can't classify them as good nor bad, for they override all sense and logic within a person's mind, but they also release all the pent-up encumbrance and stress within a person's body. Mugman gripped his teddy bear so tight that he managed to tear out some of the stuffing, but he didn't care. His body still laid as stiff as a board on his bed. He almost looked dead due to his mannequin-like lack of motion, but his violent quivers and flowing tears proved otherwise. Not that he could do anything, all he could do was cry. His cries bounced off his room's walls, echoing back at him and mocking his pain. One more thunderclap, one that lit the entire room white, was enough for him to finally run out of his bed and crawl underneath it, taking his teddy bear with him. He feared for his life as much as any person would. There was no word strong enough to describe how he was currently feeling.

 

"AAAAAAAHH!! MAKE IT STOP!! CUPPY!!!!"

 

Cuphead, at the sound of his name being called, snapped his eyes open and shot up his upper body from his bed, head whipping around everywhere in search for his sibling. He ducked his head under his bed to find his brother's empty, with only his sheets in complete disarray, small clumps of stuffing sprinkled on it, and his pillow drenched with an unknown substance. Whether it was tears or sweat, the red cup honestly couldn't tell. He pulled his covers off of him in a frenzy and jumped off his bed, not even bothering to use the ladder. Once his feet hit the ground, he cupped his hands around his mouth and began to call for his brother.

 

"Mugs?! Where are you, bro?! Are you okay?!"

 

His only answer was a choked sob leading to his brother's whereabouts, and he got down on his hands and knees, spotting a horrified Mugman crying like mad underneath his bed. Immediately his heart was stricken with sympathy and compassion as he held out his hand to the blue mug and said in a calm, soothing voice,

 

"C'mon, bro. It's okay, I'm here. You have nothing to worry 'bout. Take my hand."

 

Doing as he was instructed and still grasping his teddy bear, Mugman reached out and accepted Cuphead's hand. With all of the strength encompassed in his body, the boy in red laboriously pulled his sibling out from underneath his bed. Normally Cuphead could lift his brother off of the ground with zero effort, at times he even managed to swing him around and toss him into the air, but with the vast amounts of persistence in Mugman's body and acute hesitance planted on his round little face, it proved to be a bit of a fruitless endeavor. Mugman did succumb to his brother's solemn consolation, however, as his wobbling feet and trembling figure groveled out from beneath his temporary fort. Even after hauling Mugman out from his hiding spot, Cuphead kept his hand intertwined with his and displayed a small smile on his face. The blue mug attempted to smile back, not feeling patronized by his brother in the least, but another crack of lightning caused him to shriek once again. He wrapped Cuphead up in a huge bear hug and cried his little heart out.

 

"Aw, Mugs..." Cuphead whimpered as he wrapped his arms back around his sobbing sibling and rested his head on top of his. He had known about Mugman's severe astraphobia for years now, and it always ended up in him continuously rubbing his back and talking to him in a pacifying tone, and normally he would calm down after fifteen to twenty minutes of the same pattern. Never before had he seen him so thoroughly discombobulated.

 

"I-I'm scared, Cups...I'm scared...Uwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh..."

 

Mugman had collapsed to his knees at this point and began sobbing uncontrollably. His cries grew louder as the room repeatedly flashed white and scared the living daylights out of the poor blue mug. His nose was stuffed with snot and his eyes were red with the massive flood of tears running down his face like a waterfall. The fur of his stuffed bear had become matted and disheveled, small bits of stuffing still clinging onto its chest and some had even gotten onto its ears. It would have had a look of antipathy on its face if it didn't always wear its permanent smile.

 

"Mugs, it's okay! I'm here. C'mon, why don't you climb into my bed with me? You'll be safer under the covers." Cuphead offered, gently taking Mugman by his shoulders and lifting him off the floor, and was about to walk him over to the ladder that conjoined their beds together until Mugman tugged on his shirt sleeve.

 

"C-can-" Mugman whimpered, but was cut off by another crack of lightning. He yelped, shutting his eyes and burying his face into Cuphead's shirt, shaking like a cat left out in the rain. Cuphead was about to console him again until his brother squeaked out, "C-can you carry me, please?" with a shaky voice. The red brother smiled a wry smile and nodded his head, allowing his brother to climb onto his back and make himself comfortable, much like when he gave him daily piggyback rides. Mugman's little sock-covered feet seeped into Cuphead's arms, resting on his wrists while his little arms rested contently on his sibling's shoulders, his teddy bear hanging limply on Cuphead's chest. Mugman's head rested against his brother's, producing a subtle  _clink_ , and he nuzzled his runny nose into Cuphead's shoulder as the red cup walked him over to the ladder, one baby step at a time. Though seeming like a mildly difficult task, Cuphead proceeded to climb up the bunk's ladder even with the added weight on his back that grew slightly heavier with each rung. There was one point where one of Mugman's arms had slid off his shoulder, and he had to stop mid-climb just to place it back on then resume his ascend. Once he made it, he slowly and carefully rested Mugman on one side of his bed, tucking him into the crimson sheets and resting his head on his big comfy pillow. Though Cuphead's bed had little food crumbs scattered across it, for he sneaked a few midnight snacks here and there, it was still comfortable to sleep on. All the while, Mugman had been quietly whimpering and crying, though his snivels began to falter and die down as soon as he felt Cuphead crawl under the sheets with him. He marginally smiled at how warm his brother's bed was, though he still could not fall asleep for obvious reasons. To him at that moment, the world appeared to want to make him suffer and cry as it continued its tormenting methods, sending more never-ending lightning bolts and thunderclaps towards his way. Such cruelty, he had thought, that the world could betray him in such a way and put him through such traumatic experiences, but with his brother at his side, he made the world a whole lot brighter in a matter of a few minutes.

 

"Better?" Cuphead whispered, holding Mugman's hand in his own. The blue boy nodded his head, wiping the tears forming at his eyes.

 

"Uh huh...thanks..."

 

"Mhmm!" Cuphead beamed, flashing a great big smile at Mugman. He then averted his eyes towards his teddy bear and said,

 

"You kinda, um, ripped some stuffing out of Jelly Bean, Mugs..."

 

Mugman looked down at his stuffed bear, whom he had named Jelly Bean, and whined.

 

"Aaawww. I'm gonna have to ask Elder Kettle if he can fix it. Sorry, Jelly Bean..."

 

"I'm sure he doesn't mind, all things considered! He's not gonna come back and haunt you in your dreams or something!"

 

"Ahahahahaha!"

 

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Cuphead spoke up.

 

"Hey, I'm always gonna be here for ya. There's nothing to worry about."

 

"But...you're not always gonna be around..."

 

"Eh?"

 

Mugman stared right into his brother's questioning eyes, tears welling up once again.

 

"Do you think we'll always be like this?"

 

"Mugs, what are you talking about?"

 

"E-Eventually, you'll have a family of your own...and so will I...you know, jobs, marriage, kids, all that stuff..."

 

"Grown-up stuff, yeah, so what's the problem there?"

 

Mugman hesitated.

 

"It's just...I have so much fun playing with you! We joke, we pull pranks, we go on our made-up adventures...but will it last forever?"

 

Cuphead opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. He was at a loss for words.

 

"And do I want it to last forever...?"

 

"Hm?"

 

Mugman's face grew deathly somber. He was serious about this.

 

"It's just...when that time comes...we won't be this close anymore..."

 

Cuphead stared at his brother, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. Why was he talking about this stuff? What was he trying to say? Mugman continued.

 

"I like this life. I don't know what I'd do if-"

 

"Hold on, bro. Take a breath. Slow down for a bit." Cuphead interrupted, pressing a finger to Mugman's lips. He then rested his head on his hand and stared his brother squarely in the eyes, all the while wearing a small smile.

 

"Think about it! We have all our friends in the Isles, and we spend time with them! We even fall in love with the people we like, relationships are huge commitments...yet here we are, still close as always! Heck, remember when I protected you from that ghost in our backyard?"

 

Mugman laughed at the recollection.

 

"You made an axe out of a ruler and paper plate..."

 

"It still worked, didn't it?"

 

Mugman could remember it clearly. When both boys were seven, they swear they heard a strange noise out in the backyard. Mugman, thinking it was a ghost, was scared out of his mind, grabbing his trusty blanket and hiding underneath it. Cuphead, on the other hand, ran inside and sculpted together a makeshift axe out of a ruler and a paper plate, messily combining the two together with clear tape. He then ran back outside and hid Mugman behind him, swinging the "axe" around and yelling "Shoo! Shoo! Go away! Leave me and my brother alone!" In the end, they discovered it was merely a stray cat rummaging through their trash.

 

"The point is that we'll always be together. Golly, we're brothers! And not just any brothers, the two brothers that defeated the Devil himself!" Cuphead yelled as he shot his arms up triumphantly, clenching his fists. If there was anything that Mugman couldn't wipe from his memory, it was the fact that his brother sold both their souls for a chance at extra loot at the casino. Though Cuphead had the moral compass of a sack of potatoes, he did look out for Mugman an awful lot. The blue mug smiled for a split second, then became utterly meditative. Cuphead laid back down on the bed and smiled at his sibling.

 

"So what are you so worried about anyway?" He asked. Another flash of lightning crashed outside, but Mugman didn't flinch or cry this time. He suddenly wrapped his arms around his brother and pulled him in for a hug.

 

"I never told you...but those days of fighting the Devil's runaway debtors...were the longest days of my life. I was so afraid of losing you...I just want you to tell me that you'll be okay!"

 

Mugman began crying again, whining and sobbing as loud as he could. Cuphead stared at his brother, dumbfounded. Sure, he's heard these types of lectures and speeches from Elder Kettle, but he had never expected to hear them from his own brother. At first, the entire thing had sounded horribly cheesy, and he figured that Mugman had spent too much time around Grim Matchstick, who usually ranted about that kind of stuff, but after seeing how absolutely devastated his sibling had become, he knew he was being serious. The red cup felt tears build up in his eyelids, perfectly willing to fall, as he hugged his brother back.

 

"Of course I'll be okay. Trust me, I've learned my lesson. I assure ya, I'll be just fine. I can take care of myself, y' know?"

 

"You promise?" Mugman asked him.

 

Mugman was too precious for the world, Cuphead didn't know what he did to deserve him.

 

"I promise."

 

"Pinky promise?"

 

Mugman extended his right pinky out to Cuphead, who laughed and allowed small tears to stream down his cheeks.

 

"Pinky promise, hehe!" He chuckled, returning Mugman's pinky with his own.

 

Both boys then cradled back into Cuphead's bed, fatigue overtaking them and nulling them to sleep. With the thunder still roaring outside, Mugman slept like a bunny bundled in Cuphead's arms.

 

Soon after, a rainbow formed outside, shining its colorful rays through the window and onto the brothers, bathing both of them in gorgeous beams of vibrant, glittery luminescence.


End file.
